Toy moving-picture machine.



H. V. ASHBY.

TOY MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 1916.

1 ,206,286. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

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if. V. ASHBY.

TOY MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 1916.

1 iatenaed Nov 26, 1916.

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HARRY V. ASHBY, 0F ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

' TOY MOVING-PICTURE MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28.

Application filed March 23, 1918. Serial No. 86,139.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY V. ASHBY, a citizen of the United States. and resident of Erie, county of Erie, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

' The principal object of my invention is the production of a sturdy toy motion picture machine, which may be manufactured so as to sell fora small amount. To this end the parts of the machine have been arranged and organized in a special manner.

Another feature of my invention resides in the means for fastening the ends of the strip carrying the series of pictures so as to keep the latter in place on the drum.

Still another feature resides in the construction of the drum which comprises two pieces, a'single piece forming one head, the cylindrical portion, and the serrated'flange.

A further feature consists of the structure andmanner of mounting the aperture plate, so that the plate may be adjustedto bring the aperture of the same into register with the pictures carried by the drum.

- Still another feature resides in the arrangement and mounting of the aperture plate and lens. These two parts are very simply carried by the support for the drum.

These and other features of the inv ntion, including certain details of constr, ction, will be set forth in the following dc scription and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings in which lil fer-once characters indicate the same part fcrent views, Figure l is a frontelevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is side elevation with part of one of the upr actuates the drum step by step; sectional view taken on the line 2; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional vL line H of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 tion showing the meanst'cr o ends of the film.

The machine consists or" a h; two spaced parallel vertically extending uprights 11. These uprights may be cast integral with the base or may be connected in any other suitable manner. The base with the uprights form a support for the other parts of the machine. [it its upper end eaci upright is formed with a boss 12. As shown,

v is pivotally mounted nan 11C;

these bosses are spaced apart and are provided wit-h alined bores 13. Seated in the bores is a. short shaft H which carries the drum. This shaft is shorter than the distance between the outside faces of the bosses, so that each end of the shaft is spaced from the outside face of supporting boss. for a. purpose to be described later.

A drum is mounted on the shaft. This drum is made from two pieces of sheet material. One piece forms one head 15. the cylindrical portion 16 and the toothed flange l7. The other piece forms the head 18, and is connected to the cylindrical portion 16 by soldering. or in any other suit-able manner. The heads are provided with two central alined apertures-l9 and 20, for mounting; the drum on the shaft. 2i. spacing sleeve may he interposed between the heads keep them properly spaced and prevent them from. becoming dished. The cylindrical portion of the drum may be formed with a peripheral head 22 adjacent the head 15. This bead, together with the tooth flange l7 constitute a means to hold the picture st 23 against lateral displacement on the drum. A leather washer as may be inserted betveen the head 15 of the drum and the adacent boss in order to keep the drum in position and also to deaden the noise which might result from vibration of the head 15 or other parts.

The cylindrical portion of the drum has a slot 2% extending substantially parallel with the axis of rotation. This slot is designed to have the two ends of the picture strip inserted therethrough. and is of a length width to permit this. The edges of the slot are rounded oil? so that the picture strip will not be injured. is fastened inside the drum in any suitable manner. This rib is located so that one fiat surface of the same is flush with one edge of the slot, so as to afford a support against :lich the ends of the film may he clamped. i W rib is provided with ears 26, on which the finger 27'. @ne end this finger is pressed toward the rib 25 a means of the spring 28. Thus the ends the picture strip may be inserted through the slot 24 and securely clamped between the finger 27 and the rib 25. This structure provides a simple means for holding the picture strip smoothly against the cylindrical surface of the drum, @ne of the.

A rib 25- is necessary in order to clear the toothed heads is provided with an aperture 47 adjacent the clamping means, so that the finger 27 may .be manipulated.

Each of the bosses 12 is provided With a transversely extending bore 29. Mounted in each bore is a rod30, extending radially outside of the drum. The bores are located so that the rods form abutments to hold the shaft 14 in proper position, and so that the rods extend in parallel directions. Set screws 31 in the bosses lock the rods in position.

Slidingly mounted on each rod, and

adapted to be locked to the rod bymeans of a set screw 34 is an arm 33. Each arm has an offset slotted or'grooved piece 32,

which is arranged to extend parallel to a tangent to the cylinder, and can be adjusted to a position in close proximity to the cy-.

lindrical surface of the drum. The oflset flange 17 and locate the grooved piece'as close to the drum as possible. grooved pieces are parallel to each other, one near eachedgeof the cylindrlcal portion ofthe drum. They may be as long as strip. As the plate is slidingly mounted, it

.a plurality of pictures, preferably three.

An'aperture plate 36 of sheet material'is slidingly fitted in the grooves 35 of the grooved pieces. This aperture plate may be of the same length as the grooved pieces. It-has a centrally farranged aperture 37,

- through which the pictures may be viewed.

The aperture should be of the same dimensions'as a single picture on the picture may be adjusted so that .the aperture will register with the pictures on the picture strip, when the drum is at rest. If this adjustment were not provided it would be necessary to move the picture strip circumferentially on the drum in order to register I .the aperture and pictures.

I lens 41, through which and the aperture 37 Obviously this would be a very tedious process. 1

' As previously stated the rods extend-cut side of the drum. A ring piece 38 having two cars '39 is slidingly mounted on the rods near their-ends. Each rod extends through an ear, and is clamped by a set screw 40 carried by each ear. The mug-carries a the pictures are viewed. Obviously, the-device may be vused without the lens. The

adjustable mounting of the lens permits it to be positioned to meet the of, diflerent observers.- I

The drum is rotated intermittently by means' nowto be described. Near the base 10 .and below the periphery of the drum,

the uprights llrotatively carry a shaft 43.

This shaft has a starwheel 44 non-rotatiyely fastened to it,-in positionto cooperate with the teeth 42 of the toothed flange 17. The

'design of the star wheel and teeth issuch I as to give the drum a step by step move- The two requirements ment of rotation. That-is, the drum alter nately. has a period of rest and movement.

Any other suitable means might be used to give this movement to the drum. The shaft 43 maybe rotated by means of a hand crank 47. In order that the drum may be held steady and motionless, between periods of movement, anspring is provided tov cooperate with the teeth 42. As shown,'the

flat portion 48 of this spring-is fastenedto an upright, below the star wheel. The flat portion has two arms, one On each side of r H the upright, which extend toward the toothed flange 17, and each arm has a bent;

end 46 forming a'knee, which cooperates with the teeth. .Wl1en the drum is at a period ofrest each knee engages in a space between two teeth, thereby holding the drum steady. In the operation of the device, a picture strip having a series of motion pictures thereon, of proper length and width, is

wrapped around the drum. The ends of the strip are inserted through the slot in the drum, and clamped by the spring pressed,

finger. The aperture plate is then adjusted Having described the invention what is.

claimed is: o c

1. A toy motion picture machine comprisat the aperture of the aperture ing two uprights, a drum rotatably mounted at the upper ends thereof and adapted to carry a series. of motion pictures on" its cylindrical surface, an aperture plate, means extending from the upper end of the uprights for supporting saidplate adjacent the cylindrical surface of said" drum, and co-v operating means on the drum and *uprights for rotating-the drum step by step,

2. A toy motion picture machine compris- V.

ing a support,a drum-rotatably mounted on the support and adapted to carry a series of motion pictures on its cylindrical surface, an aperture plate, a rod projecting from said support and arranged radially of the drum and carrying said plate adjacent the cylindrical surface of said drum, and cooperating means on the drum and support. for rotating the drum step by step, 1

3. In. a toy motion picture cylindrical surface a strip having a series" of motion pictures thereon, a 'slot in" the cylindrical surface, throughwhich the ends of the strip may be thrust, and means located inside of the drum to hold the said ends in 1 position. I v

4. In a toy motion picture machine, .a drum adapted to carry on its cylindrica n 7' 12o machine, a rotatable drum adapted, to carry on surface a series of motion pictures, said drum comprising two pieces, a single piece forming one head, the cylindrical surface, and a serrated flange, and'av second piece forming the other head.

A toy motion picture machine comprising a base, an upright projecting from the base, a drum rotatably supported on the upright. a, member carried by the upright and projecting beyond the circumference of the drum, an aperture plate carried by the said member adjacent the cylindrical surface of the drum, a lens spaced from and substantially alined with the aperture in the plate, and means to rotate the drum step by step.

6. In a toy motion picture machine, a

drum adapted to carry on its cylindrical surface a series of motion pictures, said drum comprising two pieces, one piece forming a head and the cylindrical surface and the other piece forming the other head, and

one of said pieces having a serrated circular flange.

7. A toy motion picture machine comprising an aperture plate formed from sheet material, means for supporting and moving a series of motion pictures intermittently ing a rotatably mounted drum, means for rotating the drum intermittently, two paralv lel bars arranged on opposite sides of the drum and carrying an aperture plate adjacent the surface of the drum and a lens adapted to cooperate with the aperture plate in viewing pictures carried by the drum.

9. A toy motion picture machine comprising a support, adrum rotatably mounted thereon and formed with a projecting circular head at one end of its cylindrical surface andfiange means arranged at the other end, an aperture plate supported adjacent said surface and means for rotating the drum step by step.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY V. ASHBY. 

